# VI explained — Continental Op Stories > Chapter companion for Continental Op Stories by Dashiell Hammett. ## What happens The Continental Op tails Jacob Ledwich but discovers another amateur detective, John Boyd, is also following him. After a day of shadowing through downtown, Ledwich escapes in a car, and Boyd retreats to a cheap hotel. The Op decides to focus on Boyd's game, instructing his operatives to watch Ledwich's flat and Mrs. Estep without being detected. ## Themes in this chapter ### Urban Underworld The chapter immerses the reader in San Francisco's shadowy streets, gambling dens, and transient hotels, highlighting the city's criminal underbelly. ### Deception and Identity Multiple layers of surveillance and disguise—the Op, Bob Teal, and John Boyd all tail Ledwich—underscore the theme of hidden identities and deceptive pursuits. ## Character check-ins ### The Continental Op Tails Ledwich and discovers Boyd; adjusts surveillance strategy. ### Bob Teal Rents an apartment on Laguna Street and initially shadows Ledwich before being reassigned to watch the flat. ### Jacob Ledwich The target of multiple tails; visits pool rooms and cigar stores before shaking Boyd in a car. ### John Boyd Amateur detective with a twitching nose who shadows Ledwich; registered at a cheap hotel under this name. ### Dick Foley Reports on Mrs. Estep's inactivity; instructed to watch her flat instead of shadowing her. ## Key lines > I sized up the amateur while he strained his neck peeping at Ledwich. He was small, this sleuth, and scrawny and frail. His most noticeable feature was his nose—a limp organ that twitched nervously all the time. The Op observes the amateur detective as a small, frail man with a constantly twitching nose. _Introduces John Boyd's distinctive physical description._ > My guess on this Boyd person was that he and the woman were working together—that she had him watching Ledwich for her, so that the big man couldn’t double-cross her. But that was only a guess—and I don’t gamble too much on my guesses. The Op speculates that Boyd is working with Mrs. Estep to keep tabs on Ledwich, but he admits it's just a hunch. _Reveals the Op's suspicion about Boyd's connection to Mrs. Estep._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se/chapters/vi - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/continental_op_stories_se/chapters